Cinderella story
Rags-to-riches tale
A Cinderella story is a dramatic rise from obscurity or disadvantage to success or recognition, like the fairy tale character who goes from servant to princess.
The phrase appears often in sports journalism when an underdog team or unknown player achieves unexpected triumph: The small-college quarterback's journey to the Super Bowl is a real Cinderella story.
It can describe any unlikely success—in business, romance, or public life.
- rags to richesDramatic upward social mobility
- zero to heroDramatic rise from obscurity
- dark horseUnlikely but possible winner
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- victoryDefeating an opponent
underdog · transformation · sleeper hit · overcoming adversity · fairy tale · long shot · Prince Charming · success · triumph · upset · stepfamily · comeback · glass slipper · pumpkin carriage · midnight deadline · overcome · rise · romantic escapism
- AllusionsAchilles heel, Pandora's box, Trojan horse, forbidden fruit, Midas touch
- romantic escapismfairy tales, romance novels, chick flicks, rom-coms, bodice rippers
- Upsetsupset, upset victory, upset win, underdog victory, underdog win
- Cinderella storyglass slipper, pumpkin coach, fairy godmother, wicked stepmother, stepsisters
- underdogsunderdog, underdogs, sleeper, dark horse, long shot
- long shotslong shot, longshot, long odds, dark horse, underdog
Cinderella storyfall from grace
Loss of status or reputation
riches to rags · tragic downfall · ruin · downfall · tragedy
Cinderella storychalk
Soft sedimentary writing stone
foregone conclusion · coronation · business as usual · blowout · formality
Cinderella storytragedy
Disastrous or sorrowful event
horror story · nightmare · sob story · hard-luck story · tale of woe
Cinderella, cinder, cinders, story, stories, storied, storyteller, storytelling